The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
In conventional database systems, users access their data resources in one logical database. A user of such a conventional system typically retrieves data from and stores data on the system using the user's own systems. A user system might remotely access one of a plurality of server systems that might in turn access the database system. Data retrieval from the system might include the issuance of a query from the user system to the database system. The database system might process the request for information received in the query and send to the user system information relevant to the request. The secure retrieval of accurate information and subsequent delivery of this information to the user system has been and continues to be a goal of administrators of database systems and other systems that may be deployed on one or more networks.
To provide convenient access for a user system to remotely access one or more server systems, the server systems may be connected for communications over an external network such as the Internet. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide techniques to improve security of server systems, including database systems, to protect user's resources, for example, data and applications, without impeding authorized access to those resources over an external network.